Alone In A Crowd
by Jade Daniels
Summary: Scenes taken from Astronema/Karone's life, reflected through lyrics of a song.


**Disclaimer:**_ Power Rangers doesn't belong to me. The song lyrics used are from the song 'Reflections' whish was sung by Christina Aguilera and I assume that it belongs to Disney._

**Author's Notes:**_ This is a rewrite of an old song-fic of mine, previously titled 'Reflections of Evil', with some new ideas added in. I thought that the song suited Astronema/Karone well, because of how her character changed throughout the PRiS and PRLG series. The timeline goes through Karone's life, from before she was kidnapped, to her time on Mirinoi. I don't use all of the lyrics of the song, just the ones that would worked best with the story. I hope that you enjoy. ^_^_

**Alone In A Crowd  
By: Jade Daniels**

Quiet and dark, that was how one would describe the house she lived in now. Yes, quiet and dark. There were very few lights to illuminate her keeper's inner sanctum, just enough so that one could make their way through the rooms without walking around blind. And in her short time here, she had heard no noise of any kind. It was as if anything that came within these walls was afraid to disturb the deadly silence inside. 

Her home before had been different, with much more light, and much more noise. She could remember that there had been laughing, shouting, singing and crying. Now, those familiar sounds were gone. All she had left were the memories of those happier times. Yet, even those pleasant remembrances were now fading from her mind. There were times when she awoke in the darkness, believing for a few moments that this had been all she had ever known. 

But there were times when she remembered the truth. The scary man, the one with the mottled skin, sharp teeth and strange eyes had brought her here. He had left her on the warrior's doorstep, although she didn't know why. She didn't think the warrior really knew either. All he had done for her in the time she had been here was allow her the basic necessities: a place to sleep, clean herself and eat. He barely spoke to her, and almost seemed surprised to see her every time he laid eyes upon her. 

There were footsteps approaching. They sounded sharp, almost thunderous in the dark silence. Finally, his shape emerged from the shadows. He was black and green, made of sharp angles without a single curve upon his body. He stared at her, his eyes glowing. Finally, after a few moments, he held out his hand and his rough voice spoke. "Come with me, Princess. Today, we begin." 

Princess? Who? Her? Begin what? 

Her confusion must have shown upon her face, for he spoke again. "We shall begin your training today, Princess. Our Master has deemed you worthy of becoming one of his elite warriors. I have been assigned to train you." 

She stared at the hand that was only inches away from her face, not knowing whether or not to take it. A part of her knew that he had no reason to ask her to come with him. He was certainly strong enough to take her himself if he wanted to. Yet, somehow she knew that he wouldn't. There was something that she sensed in him, perhaps a type of honour, one that would not allow him to mistreat her. But she wanted to be in her real home. She wanted to be with her family. She had had one, hadn't she? A brother? Involuntarily, her hand wrapped around the long chain that hung around her neck. 

"You must come with me now, Princess." His hand rested upon her head and she could feel something flow through her. When it vanished, so did all her doubts. She looked up at him, complete trust in her brown eyes. 

Finally, she grasped his hand, and spoke her first words since she had arrived in his domain. "Of course Ecliptor." A false smile was plastered upon her childish face. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Very well done Ecliptor," the gravely voice surged with approval as those flaming-hot eyes gazed upon her. "I had not expected that she would turn out so well." 

Her guardian bowed deeply towards his Master and Lord before he answered, "Thank you, Dark Specter. She has been a model pupil, easily learning the ways of magic and sword." 

She stood behind him, continuing to listen to them speak about her as if she was not there. It did not matter to her; it _could not_ matter to her, for she had been trained to be silent when necessary. No one wanted to hear a warrior babble like an idiot, especially not a creature like Dark Specter. So she remained quiet, standing like a statue while her Master continued to study her. 

"Yes, she will do," Dark Specter continued on. Finally, he spoke directly to her. "Your guardian has trained you well young one. The potential you showed when you were a mere child has now grown to reveal your true strength. While you have many years left before you can begin on your own, I deem you worthy of bearing my Name." 

"Yes, Master," was all that she could say. For years now, as far back as she could remember, she had had no name. Ecliptor only ever referred to her as Princess, and that was in anticipation of the title she would perhaps one day carry. Anyone else would refer to her as 'girl', as she was considered twice outcast, once for having no true Name, and twice for being trained as one of Dark Specter's elite warriors. 

"You shall be called, Astronema." 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Look at me," she whispered softly, as she set down her brush on the dresser. "They may think they see who I really am." She stared at the face in the mirror. Soft tendrils of purple framed the round face that was speckled lightly with silver. The brown eyes were painted heavy with makeup, just like the rest of her face. Her lips were a false red and a there was an artificial sparkle coming from her cheeks. 

She shook her head. "But they'll never know me." How long had it been since Dark Specter had given her the Name Astronema? Too many years to count she supposed, all having fallen into the darkness of the past. Those intervening years had resulted in this: a doll all dressed up in fancy armour, looking ready to lead an army against her Master's enemies. Yet sometimes, she felt like all she was doing was looking the part. Dark Specter told her where to go, what to do. All she did was follow his orders. Had she ever had a voice of her own? 

She smiled as she ran a hand through her purple locks, watching as her hair slowly turned colour, becoming a brilliant royal blue. Ecliptor often asked her why she continued to change her hair colour like this. She really had no answer for him, other than it was another way to express outwardly what she felt within. She was someone that was ever changing, becoming a new person within the next moment. 

"I am Astronema, the Princess of Evil." Her clear, bright voice echoed softly in the large quiet bedroom. "That was who I was Named, and that is who I am meant to be. This is what I trained all my life for, to take my place at Dark Specter's side." 

Those were the words that she had spoken to herself ever since she had been Named. Truly, if this was not her destiny, then what was? Yet, why did the words sound so empty to her ears? 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Every day, it's as if I play a part!" Her words were spoken in harsh tones. She glared at her guardian. "It's as if I must wear a mask, so I can fool the world." When was the last time she had truly been herself? Her voice softened as she spoke the next words unwillingly. "But I cannot fool my heart." And what her heart was telling her would have been blasphemy if she spoke of it. 

"What is it that you are trying to say, Princess?" he asked. 

She shook her head, breathing hard. Her eyes looked out of the viewscreen on board the bridge of the Dark Fortress. Her ship, granted to her by Dark Specter, to be the flagship in the battle to conquer the planet Earth. That stupid planet which was now displayed upon her viewscreen had once been considered to be a piece of minor backwater property with nothing that anyone could ever want. But now, it had become prime real estate for any and all potential conquerors. It was a landmark amongst the starts. And it was all thanks to the Power Rangers. If they hadn't continuously and consistently thrown off every villain that had tried to take the place, no one would have ever heard of the planet. And now she was just the latest in a long line of villains that looked about ready to be thrown off. 

Add all that to her own insecurities, and she was one very unhappy Princess. "I want to know," she started, "Who is that girl I see when I look into the mirror? I should be proud to say that I am Astronema, the Princess of Evil! I should strong and powerful! I am the chosen of Dark Specter. I should be able to defeat the Power Rangers." 

But that wasn't how events were currently occurring. Straight from the first battle, the tide had quickly turn to favour the Power Rangers. Her soldiers, Quantrons with ten times the strength and speed of any other warrior, had fallen. By the time each battle was over, she would find herself slumped in her chair in defeat. At first, she had been angry: angry with the Rangers for winning, angry with her soldiers and monsters for losing. Yet, beneath all that anger, there was an underlying sense of...relief? That was what her heart showed. It was as if... as if she truly wanted the Rangers to win in the first place. But how could that be? She was sworn to be at Dark Specter's side and help him win this battle. Why would she want her enemies to win? 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The door to her quarters slid close, and she sighed with heartfelt relief. Quickly, she went to her bed and from under her pillowed, she retrieved her precious picture. "I hate this, being in a world where I have to hide my heart," she whispered to the framed image of Zhane, the Silver Power Ranger. When he should have been her greatest enemy, he had somehow become her friend. And what was even more curious, it seemed as if they were well on their way to becoming even more than that. 

"Sometimes, it makes me wonder, what do I believe in anymore?" That one date with Zhane, it had meant more to her than any of the galaxies that she had conquered. She had been ready to blast Ecliptor when she had found out what he had done. But years of training had asserted themselves and she had managed to restrain herself in time. After all, her guardian did not know about her and Zhane, and he never would find out. She knew that if word ever got back to him about her relationship with the Silver Ranger, then Dark Specter would eventually find out. She shuddered, knowing full well what the lava creature could easily do to her. 

"But one day, I'll be able to show everyone what's inside my heart," she promised, to herself, and to Zhane. She looked at herself in the mirror, surprised at the smiling face that looked back at her. It was confusing, all these conflicting feelings. Zhane was a Power Ranger, and therefore her enemy. She should hate him, and should have been ready to shoot him down on sight. But, she hadn't. Maybe she had wanted.... "Maybe I'll be loved for who I am." 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

She was alone at last, having finally escaped to her temporary quarters on board the Astro Megaship. The constant scrutiny of the Power Rangers had become particularly uncomfortable. But then, she couldn't really blame them for keeping her under such close watch. If she were in their place, she would be suspicious of herself as well. It certainly wasn't everyday that one of the universe's most notorious villains turned away from evil, even if it was for all of the right reasons. It would have been more likely that she was laying some kind of trap for the Rangers. Somehow, it seemed that would make more sense than what she was doing now. 

She eyed the purple jumpsuit that Andros had given her; it would certainly be a change from all the metal and leather she had worn for the past number of years. She shook her head at that particular thought. Her brother, Andros. Who would have thought that one of her greatest enemies would turn out to be her only remaining family? She could remember times, long ago, when she knew that she had a family somewhere in the universe. But as time continued, and she had remained under Ecliptor's care, those thoughts had faded, leaving her with the belief that she had no family. Later, she had been told that the Power Rangers had destroyed her family. All of that had obviously been lies to keep her Dark Specter's puppet. 

"Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me?" she asked herself, as she looked at herself in the mirror. Looking upon that reflection, she decided that a definite change was in order. The gawdy makeup and blue hair all represented her Astronema persona. "Why is my reflection always someone I don't know?" 

No, Astronema was no longer who she was. She could no longer pretend to be someone else, for all time. Her reflection had to show who she was inside. A flicker of magic emerged from her fingertips as she ran her hands through her long curly blue hair. At the touch of her fingers, the blue locks immediately began to shorten and the colour became lighter, until her hair was a golden blonde bob that reached just under her chin. Generous use of the soap and water in the bathroom neatly took off her makeup. 

As for clothing, well, there was that uniform that Andros had already neatly provided. It was similar enough to what the Rangers wore, so maybe she wouldn't stick out as much now. She quickly and neatly shucked off the 'Astronema' costume, kicking it away in distaste. She'd have to find out where to throw it out later, or at least stash it away somewhere out of sight. When she finished putting on the new clothing, she made a final check in the mirror and smiled, pleased with the result. 

"There's a heart that must be free to fly," she said to herself, finally understanding Zhane's words to her. With his love, as well as Andros, she herself could finally be free. But before she could truly be free, there were so many things that she needed to find out. Her heart burned with a need to know, the reason why she had been taken, why she had been chosen, why, until now, she had been Astronema. But would she ever find out the reason why? 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The final pieces of the implant were put into place. She stared up at the mirror above her, continuing to struggle against her bonds, but they were too tight. The monsters had done their job well. The reflection in that mirror, it was so alien; Karone barely recognized it as her own. The face that stared back at her was now so pale that she looked like death warmed over. The implants around her head and face made her feel more like a robot than a human. In some strange way, she was glad that she wouldn't know what she was about to become. 

"Why must we all conceal, what we think, how we feel?" she whispered, softly enough so that her enslavers would not be able to hear her. "Why must there be this secret me that I'm forced to hide?" That was what they were doing, wasn't it, hiding her from the world, and herself once more? 

"Are we ready for her 'rehabilitation'?" asked a scratchy voice. She immediately recognized it: Darkonda. Her memories trailed back to the time when she had first come to Ecliptor. Darkonda had been that scary man who had brought her to her guardian. 

"Yes, my lord," a disembodied voice answered from the shadows. 

Darkonda's sneering face appeared over her. "Then begin. We'll have a matched set with them; her, and that damned Ecliptor...." 

A switch was thrown and pain shot throughout her body. If she screamed, she couldn't tell. The pain blocked out all her other senses. Darkness was closing in all around her; she felt herself retreat from this reality. As she continued to endure the pain, another personality, one so dark that she almost couldn't believe it could be real, crept slowly into her mind. Yet, she couldn't fight against it. Finally, the darkness enveloped her, and all was silent. 

When she next awoke, she found herself in her luxurious quarters on board the Dark Fortress. Now, she knew exactly who she was: Astronema, servant of Dark Specter and the Princess of Evil. As she rose from her bed, she found herself looking into the mirror at her reflection. A quick shake of her head turned her golden blonde hair into a bob of blood red. 

"I will serve Dark Specter, for now and always," she said, her voice strangely quiet, devoid of all emotion. 

She continued to stare at her reflection and for a moment, she thought she saw a different face. Hers, but a warmer version than the one now. That face was smiling, as if happy to be alive. But the face flickered away quickly, as if it had never been. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"I won't pretend that I'm someone else for all time!" she declared, looking at her reflection one more. Before, the mask that had covered her face was Astronema. Now, it was the Pink Galaxy Ranger. The latter title didn't truly belong to her. She was only carrying it until Kendrix returned. And she knew that the original Pink Ranger would come back eventually. It was only a matter of time. 

She stared at the mirror in the small bathroom of the quarters that she shared with Maya. "Does my reflection show who I am inside?" Nothing about her physically had changed much in the past five years since the Zordon's wave had spread through the galaxy. The most had been that her blonde hair had grown a bit longer; now it hung past her shoulders. Inside though, she knew that she had grown up a lot, even if in some ways she was still a child. While it may not have had enough power to remove all the evil in the universe, Zordon's energy had at least removed the shadows from within her heart. She knew that she looked happier now, as if there was a glow from within her. 

"Maybe now, my reflection does truly show who I am inside." 


End file.
